


now or never!

by chosuiri



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Mostly high school trio being dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 11:36:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17365199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chosuiri/pseuds/chosuiri
Summary: After carefully watching and analyzing like 10 romance movies (some better than others), by 3 AM, Iori has compiled a comprehensive list of possible confessions Tamaki could try to win over Kujou Tenn. Haruka suggests they try acting them out to see which ones work the best.Or, three idiots sharing one brain cell figure out the best way for Tamaki to confess to TRIGGER's center.





	now or never!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [luckytune](https://archiveofourown.org/users/luckytune/gifts).



> me: writes 1k more than i'm supposed to  
> me: well
> 
> Written for [@FrigidBlast](https://twitter.com/FrigidBlast) on twitter! Thanks for the request! I hope you enjoy.

****“You’re late!” Haruka shouts as soon as Iori finally approaches them from the shoe lockers. Tamaki snorts and Iori regards both of them with both exasperation and an apologetic look.

Tamaki looks over at Iori, “where do you wanna go, Iorin? Isumin wanted to do karaoke again. We already sing so much for work so I don’t get why we have to keep doing it.”

“It’s fun!” Haruka protests with a pout, crossing his arms as he glances away from the both of them. Tamaki and Iori simply stare at him for long enough, and then eventually the ZOOL member cracks. He finally looks back at them with furrowed eyebrows, “Fine, let’s eat parfaits instead. Touma told me about this new place close by.”

Tamaki grins, and nods enthusiastically. He’s pretty excited to hear that his friend has been getting along better with his members-- a definitely improvement to how it seemed to be way before.

“Sounds fine with me,” Iori finally replies softly, and now Tamaki notices the evident blush on his face. “Someone called me out again.”

“You’re so popular,” Tamaki rolls his eyes, but they hold off on that topic until they walk through the school gates and eventually reach the place that apparently sell parfaits.

* * *

The three of them slide into a booth, with all of them already ordering parfaits, while Tamaki goes the extra mile and orders along with that pudding, a cake, and then a milkshake. Iori balked at the amount of food he’s ordering, but Haruka’s eyes light up as he continues to prattle on more sweets.

“You happy now, Isumin?”

“... it’ll do.” Haruka mumbles, glancing furtively at Iori, “so who confessed?”

“Amagawa-san from our class,” Iori replies swiftly, “I rejected her, of course.”

Before Haruka can say something, Tamaki cuts off the both of them by changing the subject as he spacily remarks, “I wanna try confessing to someone too.”

“Are you stupid, Yotsuba-san? We’re idols!”

“So is he,” Tamaki grumbles, “if it’s a secret it’ll be fine.”

“It won’t be fine because you just told us. So now it’s not a secret.” Iori sighs, putting his head in his hands as he tries to methodically reason this out with Tamaki.

“It’s _our_ secret, he means,” Haruka chimes in, somehow excited over the topic, “okay, who is it--”

“Isumi-san, you’re surprisingly very enthusiastic about this.” Iori points out, causing Haruka to blush furiously and look away. Iori laughs at this, muttering something along the lines of _what a cute person_.

Finally, Tamaki reveals his name, “I like Tenten.” He says simply, a goofy grin making its way on his face as he starts to think of what exactly fostered his love for the older boy. He tends to have his guard up a lot, and seems super cool and sexy, but in reality he’s super cute too like when he’s nice to him while giving him his pudding or when he laughs and calls him funny. Tenn is beautiful. He’s also someone super interesting and kind, although he doesn’t show it.

His friends don’t seem that amused, though.

“Bad taste.”  
“Kujou-san?”

“What’s wrong with Tenten?” Tamaki exclaims with a completely red face, “I like him because I just like him. That’s all!”

Haruka sticks his tongue out, “You can do better. I’m not hanging out with you guys anymore if you start dating him.”

“But who else would you hang out with?” Iori snaps back.

Haruka stays silent, and glances away sheepishly. Tamaki and Iori smirk in triumph.

In almost immaculate timing, that’s when their orders come to their table. The three of them first get their respective parfaits, which Iori immediately takes out his phone to snap pictures of. Then in the next minute, Tamaki’s buffet spread of desserts slide onto the table. Tamaki gestures to some of the plates, “here, Isumin.”

The high schooler grumbles as he grabs a fork and helps himself to the cake, shoving it in his mouth. “T-Thanks for the food…”

**_Snap!_ **

“Uwah, Iorin, you better send me that photo too.” Tamaki exclaims as he looks over his friend’s shoulder to see the picture of Haruka he just took.

Iori obliges, “when we get home I will. Yotsuba-san, so you plan on confessing?”

Tamaki nods as he scoops up some of the parfait and puts it in his mouth. “Mhm. Any ideas, Iorin-sensei?”

Iori blinks that he’s being asked for this out of all people, and begins to think for a very long time. Seems like he’s actually putting in a lot of thought for him-- Tamaki’s touched!

“Oh, we can practice. Iori and I will be Tenn, you try out different confessions.” Haruka suggests between bites of cake, “and we’ll tell you if it sucks. Even though that guy pisses me off, I know a little something about him.”

Tamaki grins, “sounds fun! Iorin, have anything?”

Iori looks up finally after what seems to be a brainstorming session with he and himself. “I think… we should watch romance movies and study from there.”

“Huh? Where are we going to get all these movies from?” Haruka protests with a frown, “geez, we can’t do this to--”

“Nii-san has a big collection at our family home, I’ll just stop by and borrow from him. We can watch it at the dorms after.” Iori offers, with a bit of a glint in his eyes. “That way we’ll find the perfect confession for Yotsuba-san to use.”

“You’re the best, Iorin! Let’s do it!” Tamaki exclaims as he starts to shovel the rest of the parfait in his face.

* * *

After carefully watching and analyzing like 10 romance movies (some better than others), by 3 AM, Iori has compiled a comprehensive list of possible confessions Tamaki could try to win over Kujou Tenn. They’re all just lucky they don’t have school or work tomorrow.

Later that day, the three of them sit on the floor of Iori’s room (not Tamaki’s since it’s still a mess and Haruka refused to step into it since he’s a coward) in a circle, and Iori not-so magnificently pulls out his list.

“Then let’s begin.” Iori annunces, and Tamaki thinks that his best friend _really_ got into it despite finding their idea ridiculous at first.

  1. **Kabedon**



Tamaki slams Iori against the door, making direct eye contact with his friend. “Tenten. I’m in love with you.”

“This is too much!” Iori shouts, kicking Tamaki off of him.

Haruka snorts, “try using your leg.”

As soon as Tamaki recovers and Iori backs away from the door, Haruka replaces him. Tamaki boldly slams his foot on the door right beneath Haruka’s...

“You’re way too close! That’s not what I meant!” Haruka shrieks as he also shoves Tamaki off of him.

Tamaki groans, “this won’t work then…”

 **CONCLUSION:** _tenten will kill me_

  1. **Candlelit Confession**



“Um.” Iori deadpans as Tamaki forcibly brings in one of the tables from the living room alongside Haruka carrying two chairs from the dining room. “What’s all this?”

“It’s for the candlelit confession!” Tamaki exclaims as he points at the candles on the table, “I asked Mikki for help! But then he also told me that we need to keep it down!”

Iori sighs as he puts his head in his hands, “Nii-san... “ Nonetheless, he plays to his role and slides into one of the seats. Tamaki sits across from him, and then starts with the awkward eye contact again. Haruka creeps over to turn off the lights, plunging all three of them in darkness save for the wimpy light of the candles.

“This doesn’t feel romantic at all,” Tamaki sighs into his sleeves, but shakes his head and sits up straighter. “Tenten, you’re the one for me. Let’s date.”

“...”

“Argh, I sound like Gakkun!”

 **CONCLUSION:** _too much like gakkun_

  1. **Cake**



“Hey, I was planning on eating that later!” Iori frowns as soon as Tamaki brings out a tiny cake in a box. Tamaki only sticks out his tongue at him.

Tamaki circles a finger above the top of the cake, “see, this is where I put ‘I love you Tenten please date me’ and then he’ll eat it and be like ‘of course I will, Tamaki-kun’ and then that’s that. We’re both happy and then eat this cake.”

“Are you going to make the cake?” Haruka asks, as he looks over at the cake, “it looks too pretty for you to have made.”

“Che! Isumin is so mean!” Tamaki frowns, “I guess it’s no good if I don’t make the cake, huh…”

 **CONCLUSION:** _only if i make the cake but i dunno how to make cake and i don’t wanna ask mikki since it’s a secret_

  1. **Passionate Kiss After Argument and you go “YOU IDIOT I’VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH YOU THIS WHOLE TIME”**



“No.” Iori says as soon as he reads it, grabbing the pen and crossing it out before Tamaki can even write a comment in the conclusion section.

  1. **Love Letter**



“You have to say it in person,” Iori protests as he also takes the liberty of crossing it out before Tamaki or Haruka can comment.

  1. **On Your Deathbed, You Confess Your Love As Your Parting Message**



“That’s depressing!” Haruka yells, “I’d rather have Tenn die in this movie than you!”

“Isumin… you really treasure me as a friend…” Tamaki wails as he tackles his friend in an unwarranted hug before he’s pushed off again.

“This isn’t a movie, it’s real life.” Iori sighs, shaking his head as he crosses off this suggestion off the list too. He starts to curse him of 3 AM who’s put so many stupid confessions on this list-- well, it’s more like it’s the fault of the movies for being so unrealistic.

  1. **After doing *****



Iori doesn’t say anything, he just furiously scribbles it out with a completely red face. How did they even watch that movie? Why does Mitsuki own this?

  1. **Show Up At His Door With Roses and In A Suit**



“That’s pretty romantic,” Iori says, a bit shocked as he stares at the paper in disbelief.

“Haah? That’s the cheesiest one so far!” Haruka scowls as he glares at Iori, “unless you want to be confessed to with _roses_?”

Iori flushes, “it’s not bad…”

Haruka rolls his eyes, but turns his back on the two of them, seeming as if lost in thought.

Tamaki springs up from his seat, “well, time to finally try something out! I’ll be back!” He runs out of Iori’s room for a second to grab the vase off the dining table as well. He returns to the room, placing the vase on the table next to the candles. He then also thinks that Sougo will get real mad if he takes the whole thing out of the vase, so he settles for only one of the roses out of the vase.

Tamaki adjusts his uniform pretending he’s all dressed up, and then puffs out his chest as he mimics knocking the door in front of Haruka. Haruka rolls his eyes, but gets on his feet to play along with the skit. He pretends to open the door, and in his best impression of Tenn, he greets him.

“Tamaki-kun, what a surprise.”

Tamaki hums, “Tenten, these are for you!” He says, passing the rose to Haruka.

“This is so cheesy.” Haruka remarks as soon as he takes the rose from him. “I feel like only Torao would do something stupid and pretentious like this.”

 **CONCLUSION:** _kinda cheesy but could work (apparently like toracchi from zool)_

  1. **Sing A Song To Express Your Love**



“I dunno how to write a song,” Tamaki frowns as he looks at his talentless hands. He _could_ ask Sougo for help, but this should be a secret between him, Iorin, and Isumin! “I’m not sure how great Four Leaf Ring would be to hear as a confession.”

“Of course not that one! Use something more romantic!”

“... miss you?”

“That’s too depressing!”

“Uh… Ame?”

“Still too depressing!”

“Koi no Kakera is romantic?” Iori finally contributes, but Tamaki shakes his head.

“Better, but… I’ll need Sou-chan there with me to sing it, but I don’t think he wants to confess to Tenten.”

Haruka sighs, “okay, don’t use a MEZZO” song. Anything else?”

“Hm, Tenten has a solo that’s really cute. U COMPLETE ME…” Tamaki strokes his chin, “is that fine?”

Iori sighs, “I don’t know how I’d feel about my own solo being sung back at me all the sudden. But if you find the right timing, then that’s an option.”

 **CONCLUSION:** _only if right timing **learn it anyways so tenten thinks you're cool**_

  1. **Just Say It**



“I think this is the best one.” Tamaki mumbles, taking the pen and paper from Iori and then circling the last one. “Everything else is too complicated.”

Haruka sighs, “ugh, this was such a waste of time. What’s even the point if you were just going to go for it!?”

Tamaki nudges Haruka, “hey, but you had fun, right Isumin? You love us, right Isumin?”

“N-No! I mean, good luck with that I guess… I’ll beat up Tenn if he rejects you.”

Tamaki sniffs, tackling Haruka into yet another hug, and then looking up expectantly at Iori to join him. The other lets out a sigh, but does eventually join them in their group embrace.

 **CONCLUSION:** _just do it_

* * *

Tamaki takes a deep breath, staring anxiously at the time on his phone as he sits at the bench outside of the convenience store near TRIGGER’s place. He knows that he shouldn’t just suddenly call Tenn out for such a rushed confession, but he feels like he has to do it-- they’re pretty busy otherwise to spend a whole day together.

Finally, Tenn appears-- looking as pretty as always in his fashionable jacket and scarf with hands shoved in pockets. “Sorry for the wait, Tamaki-kun.”

Tamaki shakes his head, motioning for Tenn to sit down next to him and offering him one of the cups in his hand. “It’s cold, right? I got you some hot chocolate. It’s really good, Mikki made it!”

His crush chuckles, nodding as he accepts the cup from him. He blows on the hot liquid before taking a careful sip out of it. “It’s good. Please give Izumi Mitsuki my regards.”

“Sure,” Tamaki returns with a grin, eyes trailing to the lack of distance between them. Wow-- they’re almost joined by the hip. He takes in a deep breath, scooting himself just a bit closer next to the other. “Um, so Tenten… are…”

Tenn looks up at him with wide eyes, which not to be cheesy and a loser, but that really makes Tamaki’s heart swell and make him think that he really really likes this guy. He’s so cute he could die. The words die in his mouth before he can continue-- so he gulps, looking away for a moment. “I’m…” It’s so frustrating that he couldn’t really explain his feelings right now. It’s so simple-- just say that he loves him, but somehow he can’t manage to find it in himself to say it.

“Tamaki-kun,” Tenn interrupts with a small smile, “I love you.”

Tamaki’s cheeks turn red as he curses him furiously in his head. _What’s with that, Tenten? You’re stealing the moment!_

“Me too…” Tamaki pouts as he starts drinking more of his hot chocolate, “Tenten, I was gonna say it first. How dare you.”

Tenn chuckles, leaning slightly more against Tamaki’s chest, “is that so? It seems like we were thinking of it at the same time.”

Unsure of what exactly he should do, Tamaki gulps as he cards through the other’s hair, thinking to himself how incredibly soft they were and how cold his fingers must be.

“You should’ve bundled up more,” Tenn clicks his tongue, bringing a hand up to touch Tamaki’s cheek.

Tamaki smiles back, “But you’re pretty warm. Isn’t that enough?”

“Maybe not,” Tenn says as he licks his lips, and then he tilts Tamaki’s head down slightly to press his lips against his.

* * *

 **[TAMAKI]:** Guess what?

 **[IORI]:** What, Yotsuba-san? I can hear you yelling from here.

 **[HARUKA]:** It worked?

 **[TAMAKI]:** Tenten confessed to me first but it’s okay we’re happy now

 **[IORI]:** I guess we should make celebratory cake…

 **[HARUKA]:** Cake?

 **[HARUKA]:** also shut up i’m trying to sleep

 **[IORI]:** You’re the one replying still, Isumi-san. It’s not hard to put away your phone.

**[HARUKA]:**

****

**[IORI]:**

****

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! it was rlly fun to write tamaioharu interacting and i just think the high school trio is neat and i would die for them. i also think ioharu is a neat ship  
> also stan zool
> 
> find me and scream with me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/shineonthesea).


End file.
